


Dance With Me

by through_shadows_falling



Series: MCU Ficlets [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers Tower, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, Gen, M/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-23 01:58:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8309380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/through_shadows_falling/pseuds/through_shadows_falling
Summary: The Avengers didn’t know what to expect from Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier, but it certainly wasn’t that he could still dance.





	

The Avengers didn’t know what to expect from Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier, but it certainly wasn’t that he could still dance.

Steve hadn’t known how to prepare them for Bucky’s appearance in the tower. Though, to be fair, they hadn’t had to deal with much so far, since Bucky had been quiet and reserved, and had only really spoken to Natasha and Sam. He and Bruce had shared a small smile, Clint had nodded to him once, and he’d listened politely to Thor during a long, rambling conversation on the Asgardian’s part.. And with Tony, they’d avoided each other like a plague, for obvious reasons.

They’d been living in the tower long enough that Bucky filled in the background. He trailed Steve like a shadow wherever he went, so he was a constant, lurking presence that they had all grown accustomed to. Bucky had even gotten better at being less intimidating about it, but he still didn’t say much. 

Steve didn’t try to force it, as Bucky had a lot to process, least of which were his memories that flooded back more and more each day. Sometimes, out of the blue, he would burst out laughing or choke on a sob. That didn’t do much to reduce his frightening image, but to Steve, it meant that he was becoming a person again. Even if the memories were bad, Steve couldn’t feel anything but joy that after all Hydra had done, Bucky Barnes - or at least this version of him - was coming back to life. 

He was the strongest person Steve had ever known, and sometimes he was so proud of Bucky that he felt like his heart would burst. 

One of those times was tonight. 

It started off with the group of them in the common area, sitting around eating Chinese takeout. 

They were all there - the original Avengers, plus Bucky who’d slinked in to lean against the wall behind where Steve sat on the couch.

Steve wasn’t sure what prompted it, but Tony (who sat as far from Bucky as possible) grew offended at Steve’s lack of knowledge of ‘good music’ from the decades he’d missed while on ice. All at once, he commanded JARVIS to play songs, and then it somehow turned into a music party where each person got to request a song. There were some last minute singing performances, too - mostly Thor - which was surprising considering there wasn’t alcohol involved for once. Perhaps they’d all just needed an excuse to unwind.  

And then Steve requested a big band piece, a fast swinging number that had them all tapping their toes.

“I wish I knew how to swing dance,” Bruce said, and maybe that’s what sparked the idea, for the next thing they knew, Bucky had appeared center stage, dancing.

Tony’s mouth dropped open as Steve’s heart pounded. Bucky was…marvelous. He danced as skillfully as he always had, with the fluidity of someone who could match their bodies to rhythm and were confident with each motion. He did seem odd dancing by himself, but Steve grinned when Bucky extended a hand toward Natasha, whose eyes sparkled. 

The two of them swept off in a whirl of flurried footwork, kicks, and spins. Steve clapped along as the other Avengers cheered - even Tony, he noticed, though Thor was the most boisterous of them all. Natasha laughed as Bucky dipped her, and Steve’s heart stopped at the look on his face.

Bucky was…smiling. Not a big smile compared to _before_ , but a huge one since he’d returned to himself. 

“Damn, Buckaroo, you got _moves_ ,” Tony said. “The Soviets teach you that?”

Bucky and Natasha wound to a halt, and he turned to Tony. “Nah. I remember.” Those were some of his first words to Tony since everything had gone down.

As the song faded, Steve chimed in, “You were always a great dancer.”

“Another!” Clint said, and JARVIS obliged. 

This time, as Natasha sat down, Bucky faced Steve. “Your turn, Stevie.”

Steve felt himself blushing. “You know I could never dance…”

“Do dance with your comrade, Captain!” Thor said.

Steve sighed but accepted Bucky’s hand. “Am I leading or…?”

“Oh, you’re following. Step like this, yes, and then over there… See? You remember. If I can remember, so can you.”

“Yeah, but I was never as good as you.”

“Says who?” Bucky asked as he purposely spun Steve and was forced to stand on his tiptoes since Steve was taller.

Steve swallowed his next protests at the look on Bucky’s face: a bigger, wider smile that even lit up his eyes.

Not even Tony’s (truthful) comment that he had two left feet could stop the euphoria that coursed through him.

It was, by far, the best night of Steve’s life since he’d woken up from the ice.

And he would bet the other Avengers felt similarly, if their smiles and laughter were anything to go by.

They danced for what felt like hours until Bruce said he needed to sleep, and one by one, they exited toward their rooms.

On the way to his own suite, Steve felt a hand slide into his. His breaths stuttered as he looked up into Bucky’s face, which was soft and gentle in the lighting. 

“Thanks for tonight,” Steve said.

Bucky said nothing in response, but he squeezed Steve’s hand, and that was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Yay! My first MCU ficlet! I expect there will be plenty more, considering the rate at which my obsession is growing...
> 
> Since I'm new to this fandom, I welcome any and all fic recs! You can message me [at my tumblr here](http://through-shadows-falling.tumblr.com/).


End file.
